All Entries / Noelle Tells Us How She Has Used Public Transit to Get Around Miami for the Past 7 Years
I’ve lived in Miami for seven years without owning or leasing a car. Many people wonder how I’ve done it but the answer is simple. I can get anywhere I need to go in Miami walking, biking or taking public transportation. While studying for my undergraduate degree at the University of Miami, I would frequently use the metrorail to get from the Coral Gables campus to Medical campus downtown where I worked. Public transportation enabled me to maintain a job despite my lack of a personal vehicle and it also allowed me to maximize my time; while others wasted time in the U.S. 1 parking lot, I studied vocabulary for my Spanish class and practiced speaking skills with fellow commuters.
Public transportation was a conduit for play as well as work. I frequently used the metrorail and the Grove Circulator to access shopping, dining, and nightlife in Coconut Grove. When friends from out of town visited, we could take the metrorail and the K-bus to get to South Beach and were treated to a tour of Miami on the way! Since I’ve started graduate studies at Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, not having a vehicle and relying on public transportation has been a lifestyle choice.
The money I save on car insurance, maintenance and gas enables me to afford a beautiful apartment on Key Biscayne, close to the beaches of Crandon Park and Cape Florida, as well as my campus on Virginia Key. While I typically bike from home to work, the B-bus provides a welcome alternative on rainy days or when I need to get to the mainland. I feel good every time I ride the bus because I know that not only am I saving money, I’m also saving the environment by reducing my carbon footprint.
